The present invention relates in general to devices for opening cylindrical containers. Specifically, the present invention relates to devices which cut through the cylindrical container along a longitudinally extending surface of the container, as opposed to those devices which cut circumferentially around an end surface of the cylindrical container.
Prior approaches to the problem of cutting into a cylindrical object or container have principally been directed toward making either circumferential cuts about an end surface of the cylinder or toward making circumferentially oriented cuts through a side wall of the cylinder. Exemplary of these two approaches are the common can opener and the bologna slicer in the meat market.
For certain substances, it is undesirable to rely on an opening which is limited to the cross-sectional area of the cylinder to empty the contents from the cylindrical container. Extremely viscous substances or solid cylindrical objects having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the cylinder are often very difficult to remove through an open end of the cylinder. In these cases, it has been found to be desirable to open the cylinder longitudinally.
Due to the propensity of a cylinder to roll away from a cutting instrument, attempts to cut through the side wall of a cylinder tend, in general, to be quite dangerous. The cutting instrument tends to deflect from a longitudinal direction to a circumferential direction and, as the operator is generally holding the cylinder manually, a sever injury often results.